Public transit system and apparatus and method for dispatching public transit vehicles
First Claim
1. A method of dispatching public transit vehicles to service transit requests within a geographic transit cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) at a dispatching computer system, receiving a plurality of transit requests, each transit request being transmitted to the dispatching computer system through a transit request communication system and including a destination location identifier and a request location identifier;
(b) at the dispatching computer system, periodically receiving vehicle status signals from a plurality of intracell vehicles, each vehicle status signal containing vehicle status information;
(c) for each transit request, associating the request location identifier with a request location within the transit cell, and associating the destination location identifier with a destination location within the transit cell;
(d) for each transit request, determining a request direction from the request location and the destination location;
(e) assigning each transit request to a matching intracell vehicle route of an intracell vehicle having available passenger capacity, the matching intracell vehicle route having a route area including the request location and the destination location associated with the respective transit request, and also having a route direction matching the request direction of the respective transit request; and
(f) for each transit request, after assigning the respective transit request to the matching intracell vehicle route, transmitting from the dispatching computer system a dispatch signal to an intracell vehicle servicing the matching intracell vehicle route, the dispatch signal including transit request service information.
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Abstract
A public transit system uses a plurality of intracell vehicles to service transit requests in individual transit cells, and the transit cells are connected by intracell vehicles which travel between cell terminals located within the respective transit cells. The intracell vehicles are automatically dispatched by a dispatching system (12) which assigns each transit request to an intracell vehicle servicing a matching transit route or soft route comprising a geographical area and a route travel direction. The dispatching system (12) uses a process for selecting the most appropriate vehicle to handle a transit request where no prior route matches the request. This initial transit request then defines a new soft route for the vehicle to which it is assigned. Transit requests are preferably communicated to the dispatching system via a local telephone system and locations within the transit cell are defined by telephone numbers or other suitable identifiers.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of dispatching public transit vehicles to service transit requests within a geographic transit cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) at a dispatching computer system, receiving a plurality of transit requests, each transit request being transmitted to the dispatching computer system through a transit request communication system and including a destination location identifier and a request location identifier; (b) at the dispatching computer system, periodically receiving vehicle status signals from a plurality of intracell vehicles, each vehicle status signal containing vehicle status information; (c) for each transit request, associating the request location identifier with a request location within the transit cell, and associating the destination location identifier with a destination location within the transit cell; (d) for each transit request, determining a request direction from the request location and the destination location; (e) assigning each transit request to a matching intracell vehicle route of an intracell vehicle having available passenger capacity, the matching intracell vehicle route having a route area including the request location and the destination location associated with the respective transit request, and also having a route direction matching the request direction of the respective transit request; and (f) for each transit request, after assigning the respective transit request to the matching intracell vehicle route, transmitting from the dispatching computer system a dispatch signal to an intracell vehicle servicing the matching intracell vehicle route, the dispatch signal including transit request service information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A public transit system for transporting passengers within a geographic transit cell, the public transit system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of intracell vehicles for transporting passengers within the transit cell; (b) status signal transmission means mounted in each intracell vehicle for transmitting status signals, each status signal including vehicle status information; (c) a terminal located within the transit cell, the terminal having an area for at least one of the intracell vehicles at a time to park and allow passengers to load and unload; (d) transit request communication means for receiving transit requests transmitted across a transit request communication system, each transit request including a request location identifier and a destination location identifier; (e) intracell vehicle communication means for receiving the vehicle status signals transmitted from the intracell vehicles, and for transmitting dispatch signals to the intracell vehicles, each dispatch signal corresponding to a transit request and including transit request service information; (f) dispatch signal display means mounted in each intracell vehicle, each dispatch signal display means for receiving dispatch signals affecting the particular intracell vehicle in which it is mounted and for displaying vehicle operator information contained within the transit request information associated with the respective dispatch signal; and (g) dispatching means associated with the transit request communication means and the intracell vehicle communication means, the dispatching means for receiving the transit requests from the transit request communication means and vehicle status signals from the intracell vehicle communication means, and for each transit request associating the respective request location identifier with a unique request location value within the transit cell, associating the respective destination location identifier with a unique destination location value within the transit cell, determining a request direction using the request and destination location, assigning the respective transit request to a matching intracell vehicle route, and causing the intracell vehicle communications means to transmit a dispatch signal corresponding to the transit request, the matching intracell vehicle route having a route area including the request location and the destination location associated with the respective transit request and also having a route direction matching the request direction of the respective transit request. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for dispatching public transit vehicles to service transit requests within a geographic transit cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) at a dispatching computer system, receiving a plurality of transit requests, each transit request being transmitted to the dispatching computer system through a transit request communication system and including a destination location identifier and a request location identifier; (b) at the dispatching computer system, periodically receiving vehicle status signals from a plurality of intracell vehicles, each vehicle status signal containing vehicle status information; (c) for each transit request, associating the request location identifier with a request location within the transit cell, and associating the destination location identifier with a destination location within the transit cell; (d) defining a new intracell vehicle route when the request location and destination location associated with one of the transit requests are not included in a previously existing intracell vehicle route; (e) assigning each transit request to a particular intracell vehicle and vehicle route for servicing the request; and (f) for each transit request, after assigning the respective transit request to the particular intracell vehicle and vehicle route, transmitting from the dispatching computer system a dispatch signal to said particular intracell vehicle, the dispatch signal including transit request service information. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method for dispatching public transit vehicles to service transit requests within a geographic transit cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) at a dispatching computer system, receiving a plurality of transit requests, each transit request being transmitted to the dispatching computer system through a transit request communication system and including a destination location identifier and a request location identifier; (b) at the dispatching computer system, periodically receiving vehicle status signals from a plurality of intracell vehicles, each vehicle status signal containing vehicle status information; (c) for each transit request, associating the request location identifier with a request location within the transit cell, and associating the destination location identifier with a destination location within the transit cell, and determining a request direction from the request location and destination location; (d) defining a new intracell vehicle route when the request direction defined by said transit request does not match a direction of a previously existing intracell vehicle route (e) assigning each transit request to a particular vehicle route defined by a route direction and a geographical area, the route direction matching the request direction of the respective transit request and the geographical area including the request location and the destination location, the particular vehicle route being assigned to a particular intracell vehicle; and (f) for each transit request, after assigning the respective transit request to the particular vehicle route assigned to the particular intracell vehicle, transmitting from the dispatching computer system a dispatch signal to said particular intracell vehicle, the dispatch signal including transit request service information.
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31. A method of dispatching public transit vehicles to service transit requests within a geographic transit cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) at a dispatching computer system, receiving a plurality of transit requests, each transit request being transmitted to the dispatching computer system through a transit request communication system and including a destination location identifier and a request location identifier; (b) at the dispatching computer system, periodically receiving vehicle status signals from a plurality of intracell vehicles, each vehicle status signal containing vehicle status information; (c) for each transit request, associating the request location identifier with a request location within the transit cell, and associating the destination location identifier with a destination location within the transit cell; (d) assigning each transit request to a particular vehicle route defined by a geographical area which includes the request location and the destination location, each particular vehicle route being assigned to a particular intracell vehicle; (e) for each transit request, after assigning the respective transit request to the particular vehicle route and intracell vehicle, transmitting from the dispatching computer system a dispatch signal to said particular intracell vehicle, the dispatch signal including transit request service information; and (f) wherein each intracell vehicle route comprises an intracell vehicle route type chosen from a group comprising; (i) an inbound route defined by an area including a route line from the request location to the destination location associated with one of said transit requests, and a predetermined distance on either side of said route line; and (ii) an outbound route defined by predetermined static boundary lines extending from a cell terminal location within the cell.
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Specification